NEW DELHI – Former Indian cricketer Yograj Singh, father of legendary all-rounder Yuvraj Singh, has made startling revelations about his brief cricketing career and his tumultuous relationships with Kapil Dev and Bishan Singh Bedi. Speaking on Unfiltered by Samdish, Yograj shared how being dropped from the Indian team profoundly impacted him, leading to dramatic confrontations and a shift in his life’s focus.
Yograj, who played one Test and six ODIs for India after debuting on December 21, 1980, under Sunil Gavaskar’s captaincy, accused Kapil Dev of prematurely ending his career. “When Kapil Dev became captain of India, North Zone, and Haryana, he dropped me without any justification,” Yograj claimed.
He recounted a heated episode with Kapil at his home in Chandigarh. “My wife encouraged me to confront Kapil, but I was enraged. I took my pistol and went to his house in Sector 9. Kapil came out with his mother. I abused him and said, ‘Because of you, I’ve lost a friend. You’ll pay for this.’ I even told him I wanted to shoot him but held back because of his mother, who was a kind lady.”
This incident, Yograj said, marked the end of his cricketing ambitions and the beginning of his commitment to shaping his son Yuvraj’s career. “That day, I decided I wouldn’t play cricket anymore—Yuvi would fulfill the dream instead.”
Yograj also accused former captain Bishan Singh Bedi of conspiring against him. “Bedi and others ensured I was kept out of the team. Selector Ravindra Chadha once told me Bedi didn’t want me because I was close to Sunil Gavaskar and played in Mumbai,” he alleged.
After retiring from cricket, Yograj turned to acting, building a career in the Punjabi film industry. He also revealed a symbolic gesture years later, sending Kapil Dev a newspaper clipping after Yuvraj’s stellar performance in the 2011 World Cup with a note: “My son did better than you in the World Cup.”